Tokyo— Japan approved the antiviral drug remdesivir for use against the novel coronavirus on Thursday, three days after receiving an application from Gilead Sciences, the company said in a statement.

The rapid move by Japan’s usually conservative authorities comes days after the US authorised the drug for emergency use on Covid-19 patients. The special approval process used in Japan is reserved for urgent situations, where there is no alternative, and the drug has already been authorised for use overseas...

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